Banking calories?

TxTiffani

Ok, I have a legit question. Some people say they eat less during the week so they can eat more on their cheat day etc (banking calories)... I figured there's an amount of food your body needs for the day (maintenance calories) and the rest it packs away as fat. So if this is the case (and it may be wrong which is why I'm asking) how does eating less on certain days keep your body from gaining on the days you go over maintenance calories? It just seems to me we should not go over maintenance calories if trying to lose. Can someone shed some light on this subject? Is it that u lose more on the low days so the gain from the higher day is kind of cancelled out or what?

KorvapuustiPossu

Body doesn't work on 24 h schedule...That is why 'banking calories' works. A lot of people here take weekly calories into consideration and not daily. Also some people eat at maintenance level for 1-2 days a week (usually weekends) because it helps keep them on track. If I have some sort of celebration/party/ happening I will just eat at maintenance level for a day. No harm done.

TxTiffani

So, say 1500 is maintenance...as long as your week averages in at 1500 cal/day you would maintain?

Edited for spelling

KorvapuustiPossu

Yes, that is correct. As long as it's really your TDEE ( calculators can be off and also food logging).

JeromeBarry1

The lifestyle of eating above maintenance on days-off and below maintenance on work-days can be done in such a way as to steadily lose weight by maintaining a weekly calorie deficit. Vacations, retirement, and periods of unemployment could leave you without the tools to maintain without the work. Personally, I want to keep the daily calorie deficit in place on weekends.